Wickes Continues Fight For Young People’s Mental Health

A year since it announced its new charity partnership with YoungMinds, home improvement retailer Wickes, has raised over half a million pounds and continues to embark on a series of fundraising missions in a bid to raise vital funds for the mental wellbeing of children and young people. 

A charity chosen by colleagues to reflect its internal commitment to ‘wellbeing’. The retailer has supported its partnership across stores and support centres despite fundraising efforts being hampered due to ongoing Covid restrictions, and continues to pledge to raise £1 million.  

Fundraising with Wickes 

Colleagues have raised money through a variety of fundraisers, including hosting coffee mornings, organising bake sales, sponsored walks, and swapping their corporate colours for yellow; in solidarity and support of the great work YoungMinds do.  Towards the end of 2020, colleagues took part in #HelloYellow in October, to show their support for young people’s mental health on World Mental Health Day, and encouraged employees to wear yellow and donate £2 to help spread the word and support the charities wider vision where no young person feels alone with their mental health. 

Wickes also launched its ‘Step Up’ challenge to walk the circumference of the earth as a sponsored event. In which 101 million steps were walked in a bid to raise funds. In addition, Wickes sold YoungMinds branded trolley tokens and customers had the opportunity to donate 50p to YoungMinds with the 50p ask, with all profits going directly to the charity. This last 50p Ask broke all Wickes records raising £84.433 in one weekend!  

How the funds help

With the brand raising over £537,000 so far, this could make a massive difference to those in need. Half of all mental health problems appear by the age of 14, with 75% by age 24. £500,000 could help 10,000 parents and carers get the advice they need to support their child's mental health through the YoungMinds Parents Helpline. The Helpline Advisers support on average 1,600 families every year. As 1 in 6 children have a diagnosable mental health condition, even raising £250,000 would mean that the charity could help over 12,500 schools, colleges, organisations and individuals through the annual #HelloYellow event.  

David Wood, CEO of Wickes, said: "The Wickes team are truly passionate in their support for YoungMinds. Now more than ever, young people need the amazing help the charity offers. We are delighted to have the opportunity to leverage our combined efforts to make a genuine difference when it matters most.” 

The past year has understandably created feelings of isolation for many. In a survey carried out by YoungMinds in March 2020, 80% of young people said the pandemic had made their mental health worse.  In a follow-up survey in July 2020, 87% of young people agreed that they had felt lonely or isolated during the first lockdown period, even though 71% had been able to stay in touch with friends.. The recent NHS prevalence survey only added to the growing concern, showing that one in six children aged 5 to 16 were identified as having a probable mental disorder, increasing from one in nine in 2017. These results are truly sobering and can only show how desperately the support is needed more than ever.  

Emma Thomas, the chief executive of YoungMinds, said: “Our first year with Wickes has been incredible. In any “normal” year, we would still be commending their efforts, but in the face of such personal and professional challenges, their commitment, creativity and success  has been particularly extraordinary to see. We cannot thank Wickes enough for standing by us, and the young people and families that we support, at such a difficult time and for their commitment to help us do all we can to change the future for young people’s mental health.” 

YoungMinds is leading the movement to make sure every young person gets the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what. 

YoungMinds provides young people with tools to look after their mental health. They empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And they amplify young voices to change the world we live in. 

Source : Wickes

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